METHOD FOR CONTROLING A HEIGHT OF AN AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT COMPONENT, APPLIANCE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

专利摘要:
Height Control The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a height of a component of agricultural equipment, wherein an average planting height is determined. In one embodiment, the agricultural equipment component is controlled to maintain a predetermined distance from a current crop top level. If a current crop top level cannot be determined, a virtual crop top level will be calculated using the average crop height value. The agricultural equipment component is controlled to maintain a predetermined distance from the top level of virtual plantation. In another embodiment, the agricultural equipment component is controlled to maintain a predetermined distance from the current ground level. If a current ground level cannot be determined, a virtual ground level will be calculated using the average crop height value. the agricultural equipment component is controlled to maintain a predetermined distance from said virtual ground level. an ultrasonic sensor is also provided.
公开号:BR112014032571B1
申请号:R112014032571-5
申请日:2013-06-26
公开日:2019-09-24
发明作者:WIlliam Strelioff；Jason Griffith；James Schnaider；Gordon Lee；Dean Hockley
申请人:Norac Systems International, Inc.；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

“METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A HEIGHT OF A COMPONENT IN AN AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT, APPLIANCE TO PERFORM THE METHOD AND AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT COMPONENT
Field of the Invention [001] The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling the height of components of agricultural equipment.
Description of the state of the art [002] In agriculture, dragged or self-propelled units, such as spraying units, have bars that are towed behind the tractors and are controlled to apply insecticides and others to the plantations through which the tractor passes. The height of the spray boom is typically dynamically positioned in order to maintain a fixed distance between the boom and the crop or soil. The bars are typically rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tractor, so that they can rotate and remain substantially parallel to the plantation even if the tractor passes over a slope. Precise control over the height of the boom at which the spray nozzles are mounted with respect to the crop is required to prevent damage to the crop by the boom itself as well as to ensure uniform and appropriate application of the sprayed chemicals to the crop. The height control of the bar above the plantation can be manually or automatically controlled in a number of ways, some of which include the use of the ultrasonic distance measurement to determine the height of the bar above the plantation. Similarly, in
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2/58 agricultural planting, the cutting blades on a cutter bar must be kept at a certain height in relation to the top of the plantation or at ground level, so that planting is done precisely even if the height of the plantation or the level of the soil change with respect to the cutting blades.
[003] When measuring the ultrasonic distance, the ultrasonic signals are emitted from a transducer and the reflected echoes or the return signals from objects in the ultrasonic pulse path are detected, after a time interval, by the transducer. The time between the transmission of the pulse and the reception of a reflected return pulse outside an object (ie, an echo) can then be used to calculate the distance to the objects that cause each reflected return.
[004] Since it is imperative that the spray boom does not come into contact with the top of the crop while the boom is being towed behind the tractor or that the cutting blades do not cut too high or low in a crop, height controls that use ultrasonic distance measurement have one or more ultrasonic sensors arranged on the spray boom or the boom boom that attempt to detect the distance between the boom boom or boom boom and some reference data to hear echoes that return to the transducer after the pulse is transmitted.
[005] By using the well-known relationship between speed, distance and time, the
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3/58 calculating the distance the ultrasonic sonic pulse traveled before being reflected by objects in the pulse path is simple, so the distance between the spray boom or the boom boom and a feature that causes a reflection can determined. Once the distance between the spray boom or the boom boom and a reference data is known, the boom boom or boom boom can be moved up or down automatically to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the boom and the boom. spray bar or the cut bar and the reference data (typically the top of the plantation or the ground level).
[006] Controlling a spray boom so that it maintains a fixed distance from the top of the plantation can result in a situation where, in the absence of plantations under the spray boom, the control system will interpret an ultrasonic pulse reflection of the soil under the sensor to be a representative of the reflection of the top of the plantation nonexistent because it is the first echo received. If the spray boom is being controlled in such a way that a fixed separation between the top of the plantation and the spray boom is being maintained, then this misinterpretation of the soil reflection as a top of the planting signal will cause the boom spray head is lowered to maintain the predetermined separation. However, the separation, in this case, would be between the spray boom and the ground level, which was misinterpreted as corresponding to the top of the plantation.
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4/58 [007] This temporary absence of planting in the transmission path of the ultrasonic sensor will result in lowering the spray bar beyond what would be the case if a true reflection was received from the top of the plantation. In some cases, the spray boom can be lowered to such an extent that part of it comes into contact with the ground. In any case, it is likely that the bar has been lowered below the true level of the top of the plantation and thus a collision between the bar and the approaching plantation may occur.
[008] If height control with respect to the local ground level is being carried out, as in the example of a harvester cutting bar, then situations may arise where a reliable ground level cannot be determined or where, due to the matter that is in the soil or vegetation and others that are present under the sensors, an erroneous soil level is determined. In the first case, a controlled ground level system can become inoperable if it cannot determine a reliable ground level. In the second case where a ground level is determined, which is not the actual ground level, then the spray / cut bar can be raised or lowered again when it should not be.
[009] Clearly, alternative systems and methods for controlling the height of a spray / cut bar are required, which do not suffer from these problems.
Summary of the Invention
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In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for controlling a height of a component of agricultural equipment comprising:
determine an average planting height:
controlling said component to maintain a predetermined distance from a current top plantation level or current soil level, in which, if a current top plantation level or current soil level cannot be determined, steps will be taken :
calculate a top level of virtual planting or a level of virtual soil, respectively, using said average planting height value; and controlling said component of agricultural equipment to maintain a predetermined distance from said top virtual plantation level or said virtual soil level, respectively.
[0011] The invention also includes an apparatus for carrying out the method, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a sensor unit to provide a signal indicative of a current top plantation level or a current soil level; and a control unit that receives said signal, calculating an average planting height and providing a control signal to control the component height, in which, if a current top plantation level or current ground level cannot be determined by said sensor, said unit of
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6/58 control will calculate a virtual top plantation level or virtual soil level, respectively, using said average plantation height value; and adjusting said control signal to control the height of the component to maintain a predetermined distance from said top virtual plantation level or said virtual ground level, respectively.
[0012]
When the top level of virtual planting is calculated, it can be calculated by subtracting the average planting height from the current ground level.
[0013]
When the virtual soil level is calculated, it can be calculated by adding the average planting height to the current top planting level.
[0014]
The current level of the top of a plantation and the level of the soil can be determined by:
transmit an ultrasonic pulse;
detecting the return echoes of said pulse and characterizing said return echoes to identify a return from the top of the plantation and a return from the ground along with the time when each echo is received;
use the known speed of the transmitted pulse and the time elapsed between pulse transmission and the times of receiving the return from the top of the plantation and the return from the ground level to calculate the distance at which each respective return echo occurred .
[0015] In addition, the ambient temperature can be measured at a time of
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7/58 transmission of the ultrasonic pulse, where the measurement of the ambient temperature can be used to determine the speed of the ultrasonic pulse corrected for the temperature and the corrected speed used as the known speed.
[0016] THE planting height average comprises an average from heights planting historical what can be heights planting individual what were determined by a sensor ultrasonic to subtract an instant distance from a top gives plantation detected under the sensor ultrasonic The leave the distance up until the soil instant what also was detected under the sensor ultrasonic to Same time. [0017] Alternatively, the height of
Average planting can be preset by a user.
[0018] The agricultural equipment may comprise a spray boom with the sensor unit mounted on the spray boom, or the equipment may comprise a cutting boom with the sensor unit mounted on the cutting boom.
[0019] The sensor unit and said control unit can be integral with each other.
Brief Description of the Drawings [0020] The modalities of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an arrangement of an exemplary spray boom height control system of the present invention;
Figure 2 illustrates an arrangement of a
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8/58 cutting bar height control system exemplifying the present invention;
Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement of one of the system's ultrasonic sensor modules described in Figure 1, in more detail;
Figure 4 illustrates the arrangement of part of the system described in Figure 1, in more detail;
Figure 5a is a representative diagram showing a signal received by a sensor in the example, over time;
Figure 5b is a representative diagram showing an interpretation of the signal illustrated in Figure 5a;
Figure 6 shows a process flow chart of a first exemplary operation method illustrated in Figure 1;
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the operation of the first exemplary operation method;
Figure 9 shows a process flow chart of a second method of operation from an example illustrated in Figure 13;
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate the operation of the second example method;
Figure 12 illustrates an alternative example of a spray boom height control system of the present invention; and Figure 13 illustrates an alternative example of a height control system for the harvester cutter bar according to the present invention.
Detailed Description [0021] Figure 1 shows a tractor unit 103 that has spray booms
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9/58 variable geometry (VG) 101 arranged on each side of the tractor unit, which are used with and controlled by a control system and a method of the present invention. Each of the two spray bars of VG 101 is mounted to the tractor unit 103 at one end thereof via a well-known coupling mechanism such as a hydraulic piston 106 and a pivot 104. The coupling mechanism allows each spray bar of VG 101 is tilted (as shown by the arrows in Figure 1) with respect to the tractor and also rotate clockwise and counterclockwise over its mounting point with tractor unit 103. Three ultrasonic sensor modules 105 are mounted on each of the VG 101 spray booms in positions where they can project an ultrasound pulse onto a cone facing down towards the area directly under the VG spray boom on which it is mounted. In the preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 are mounted on, but in front of the bar, so that they are on the main edge of the bar. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that mounting the ultrasonic sensors in this way means that they will pass over the plantation before the bar itself as the tractor moves forward through the plantation. In the preferred embodiment, each 105 ultrasonic sensor module is a NORAC UC5 ultrasonic sensor (NORAC part No. 43750).
[0022] Figure 2 shows a harvester unit 203 that has a cutter bar 201 arranged in the front part of the machine that is
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10/58 used with a control system and method of the present invention. The cutter bar 201 is mounted to the harvester unit 203 by a well-known coupling mechanism such as a hydraulic piston 206 and a pivot 204. The coupling mechanism allows the cutter bar to be raised or lowered with respect to the ground. In this example, two ultrasonic sensors 105 are mounted on each side of the cutter bar, in front of the leading edge of the cutter bar, but other series of sensors may also be appropriate. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the mounting of the ultrasonic sensors in this way means that they pass over the plantation and the soil before the cutting bar itself as the harvester moves through the plantation. In the preferred embodiment, each 105 ultrasonic sensor module is a NORAC UC5 ultrasonic sensor (NORAC part No. 43750).
[0023] Figure 3 shows a 105 ultrasonic sensor module in greater detail. Each individual ultrasonic sensor module 105 consists of an ultrasonic transducer 301, operable to transmit and receive ultrasonic sound waves, connected to a pulse generator 303 that generates the ultrasonic pulse from a source voltage provided by the electrical system (not shown) ) to which the 105 ultrasonic sensor modules are connected. The ultrasonic transducer 301 within the ultrasonic sensor module 105 is also connected to a receiving and amplifying circuit 305 within the ultrasonic sensor module 105 and which converts the ultrasonic sound waves received at the transducer into signals
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11/58 electric, as will be described in more detail below. Each ultrasonic sensor module 105 also includes a control circuit 307 connected in communication with each of the elements within module 105 described above and configured to control various aspects of the operation of the ultrasonic sensor module, as will be described in more detail below. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control circuit 307 is a microprocessor or CPU-type device that can execute programmed instructions and incorporates an internal memory for storing data or is connected to an external memory device for storing data.
[0024] The control circuit 307 is connected to the controller unit 107 of the tractor unit, thereby allowing each ultrasonic sensor module 105 to communicate with the central controller unit 107. The connection between the ultrasonic sensor module 105 and the controller unit 107 can be made by means of a wired or wireless device. In the preferred embodiment, each of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 and also the controller unit 107 are connected to the CAN bus (Controller Area Network) of the tractor unit 103 using the appropriate connections and thus communication between the unit controller 107 and individual ultrasonic sensors is allowed. Communication between controller unit 107 and each ultrasonic sensor 105 is based on the ISO 11783 communication protocol.
[0025] Although the modalities of
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12/58 the present invention are generally described with respect to one or more ultrasonic sensor modules 105 that communicate with a central controller unit 107, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modalities of the present invention are practiced with a single ultrasonic sensor module . In such embodiments, the control circuit 307 must include the appropriate memory and processing capabilities to maintain a moving average function, as will be described in more detail below.
[0026] Each moving part of the boom constitutes an individual control channel of controller 107. The combination of more than one sensor module 105 can be used to control an individual channel.
[0027] As discussed above, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 can transmit ultrasonic pulses and detect reflected ultrasonic signals corresponding to the echoes of the originally transmitted pulse. The operation of such sensor modules 105 will be explained in more detail with reference to the type of signals that will typically be generated and received in the course of operating the modalities of the present invention.
[0028] In operation, the ultrasonic transducer 301 of the ultrasonic sensor module 105 periodically transmits an ultrasound pulse that lasts a few microseconds. Ultrasonic frequencies are used in the preferred mode because the beginning and end of the resulting pulse are better defined in ultrasonic frequencies than in sonic frequencies, which
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13/58 means that the echoes (reflections of the transmitted pulse) that will be produced by objects in the pulse path will also be better defined and, therefore, their detection will be more accurate. In addition, when using ultrasonic frequencies instead of sonic frequencies, the ultrasonic sensor module 105 will not be as affected by environmental noise, which typically occurs at sonic frequencies much more than at ultrasonic frequencies, when receiving echoes reflected from the pulse of transmitted ultrasound.
[0029] The radiation pattern of the ultrasonic transducer pulses typically takes the form of an expansion cone centered on transducer 301, the pulse spreading outwardly in the radial direction as it moves away from transducer 301 along the axis of streaming. Each ultrasonic sensor module 105 is operated in a transmit and receive cycle whereby the control circuit 307 within the ultrasonic sensor module first incites the ultrasonic pulse generator 303 to transducer 301 to produce an ultrasonic pulse in a well-mannered manner. understood by the person skilled in the art. Once transducer 301 has transmitted its ultrasonic pulse, control circuit 307 begins to receive part of the transmit and receive cycle. This opens a reception window that defines a time period during which the echoes of the transmitted pulse are expected to be received by the transducer 301 and pass to the reception and amplification circuit 305. In the preferred mode, the control circuit can introduce a delay of about 1
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14/58 millisecond after the ultrasonic pulse has been transmitted before measuring the received signal, in order to allow any voltage spikes in the transducer caused by generating and transmitting the ultrasonic pulse to be decreased.
[0030] Each ultrasonic pulse lasts for about a millisecond. The reception window, which is opened after the ultrasonic pulse is transmitted, is about 10 milliseconds in duration, providing a wide time interval for all the reflections of the transmitted pulse to reach the 301 transducer. In the preferred mode, the ultrasonic pulses can be transmitted in
distinct ranges of about 15 to 35 milliseconds. [0031] Although the window receiving be open (this is, while the circuit in
amplification 305 is listening for echoes from the transmitted pulse), the control circuit 307 monitors the time that has elapsed since the pulse was transmitted. Any echoes collected on transducer 301 are received and amplified by amplification circuit 305 and passed to control circuit 307, where the parameters of the received echo signal are recorded. The recorded parameters of the signal include the time each reflection occurs and the amplitude of the reflected signal as it changes over time.
[0032] In the preferred mode, during the reception window, the control circuit 307 automatically increases the signal gain of the reception and amplification circuit 305 in an exponential manner with increasing time
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15/58 elapsed from the pulse transmission. This increase in receiver gain explains the fact that the reflections received by increasing the time elapsed since the transmission of the pulse will have been reflected from the most distant objects of the 105 ultrasonic sensor module and, therefore, will be weaker in amplitude than reflections caused by objects closer to the 105 ultrasonic sensor module and which would naturally be received in a shorter time.
[0033] When a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from the transmission of the ultrasonic pulse, the reception window is closed, so that the transducer is then ready to transmit an additional pulse after the appropriate interval of time has elapsed between the pulses .
[0034] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a part of the VG 101 bar and the ultrasonic sensor module 105 thereon, with respect to an individual planting component 401 to better illustrate the operation of the first example of the present invention. The view is lateral in the direction of travel of the bar (indicated by the big arrow) and the ultrasonic sensor module 105 is shown, mounted in front of the bar 101. Figure 5a shows a representation of the echo or feedback signal that is typically generated by ultrasonic transducer 301 and recorded by the control circuit 307 in its memory during the time that the reception window is opened after the transmission of an ultrasonic pulse and the reflection of the planting component 401 illustrated in Figure
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16/58
4. A series of peaks in the amplitude of the signal generated by the ultrasonic transducer 301 during the reception window can be clearly verified occurring at various times during the reception window in positions 501, 503 and 505. These peaks correspond to the reflections of the ultrasonic pulse at from the top 403 of the planting component 401, an intermediate part of the plantation (such as a leaf or fruit) 405 and the soil 407, as shown in Figure 4.
[0035] The control circuit 307 within the ultrasonic sensor module 105 analyzes the signal produced by the reception and amplification circuit 305 while the reception window is open and converts the time that each peak of interest occurs at a corresponding distance from of the transducer of the ultrasonic sensor module 105 (because the distance from transducer 301 in which a reflex occurred is equal to half the speed of the transmitted pulse multiplied by the time between the pulse being transmitted and the reflection being received). Since the speed of sound in the air is dependent on the air temperature through which the sound wave is passing, for each transmission and reception cycle of the ultrasonic sensor module 105, the control circuit 307 measures the instantaneous local air temperature using an appropriate device such as a thermistor, and calculates a temperature-adjusted speed so that the ultrasonic pulse is used to convert the distance described above, to increase accuracy.
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17/58 [0036]
The control circuit 307 in the ultrasonic sensor module 105 performs signal analysis on the signal generated by the reception and amplification circuit 305 to interpret the analog peaks that occur in the signal over time during the opening of the reception window in the different echoes that originate from various distances from the 301 transducer. In order to increase the measurement accuracy, the time measured for the leading edge of the processed signal is used.
0037]
Figure 5a illustrates the recorded signal and Figure 5b illustrates how the signal can be interpreted. In Figure 5a, the first peaks 501 in the signal generated by the reception and amplification circuit 305 occurred in about 3 milliseconds of time elapsed after the pulse was transmitted. The peaks at 501 correspond to the pulse reflection transmitted by the upper section 403 of the planting component 401 and are obviously the first reflections to be received by the ultrasonic sensor module 105 during the reception window because the top of the plantation is closest to the 301 transducer Conversion of elapsed time to distance, as previously described, allows control circuit 307 to determine that the first reflections occurred at a distance of about 0.5m from the transducer of the ultrasonic sensor module 105 in this example. Similarly, the last reflections, which correspond to peak 505, were received after about 8.5 milliseconds had elapsed from the pulse transmission. This corresponds to a distance of about 1.45 m from the transducer of the
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18/58 ultrasonic sensor module 105.
[0038] Control circuit 307 in the ultrasonic sensor module 105 assumes that peak 501 that occurs closest to the transducer corresponds to a reflection of the ultrasonic pulse across the top of plantation 401 and, therefore, that the top of the plantation is about 0.5 m from the transducer level of the ultrasonic sensor module. Since the transducer 301, in its ultrasonic sensor module 105, is fixedly mounted to the bar 101, the distances measured at the level of the transducer 301 can be interpreted to provide a distance from the bar. If the bottom of the bar 101 and the transducer 301 are at the same height, as is the case in the preferred embodiment, then any given distance relative to the transducer will also be a distance relative to the bar. Similarly, control circuit 307 can assume that peak 505 that occurs beyond transducer 301 corresponds to a reflection of the ultrasonic pulse from the ground, and thus the ground is about 1.45 m from the transducer of the ultrasonic sensor module 105.
[0039] The control circuit 307 and memory in the ultrasonic sensor module 105 stores the value of the distance to the generated soil over one or more previous transmission and reception cycles (in the preferred mode, the previous top of the recorded distance distance values. over the previous 70-100 milliseconds of the operation is stored) and calculates a moving average for the previously recorded top of the plantation distance. For the current transmission cycle and
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19/58 reception, the control circuit 307 then compares the newly determined distance to the top of the plantation with the moving average value of the previously recorded distances to the top of the determined plantation over the previous cycles. If the distance to the crop top determined by the ultrasonic sensor module 105 for the current cycle is within a predetermined deviation from the moving average value determined from previous cycles stored in memory, then the ultrasonic sensor module will send to the controller 107 the value you determined as the distance from the top of the transducer plantation to the ultrasonic sensor module. If the distance to the crop top determined by the ultrasonic sensor module 105 for the current cycle is not within the acceptable deviation from the moving average distance value determined from previous cycles, then the ultrasonic sensor module 105 will send to controller 107 a “no reading” error value for the distance to the top of the plantation value.
[0040] Similarly, the control circuit on the ultrasonic sensor module 105 stores the value of the distance to the generated ground over one or more previous transmission and reception cycles (in the preferred mode, the values of the distance to the previous recorded ground) during the previous 70-100 milliseconds of the operation are stored) and calculates a moving average for the previously recorded distance to the ground. For the current transmit and receive cycle, control circuit 107 compares the distance it
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20/58 determines for the distance to the ground in the current cycle with the moving average value of the distances previously recorded to the ground level. If the distance to the ground determined by the ultrasonic sensor module 105 for the current cycle is within a predetermined deviation from the moving average value determined from previous cycles,
So the module in ultrasonic sensor 105 will submit to controller 107 the value what was determined how an distance valid from ground for
that cycle. If the distance to the ground determined by the ultrasonic sensor module 107 for the current cycle is not within the acceptable deviation from the moving average distance value determined from previous cycles, then the ultrasonic sensor module will send the controller 107 a value of error without reading for the value of the distance to the ground.
[0041] If the sensor cannot determine the distance to the top of the plantation and / or the distance to the ground, no information will be incorporated into the moving average of the distance to the top of the plantation and the distance to the ground calculated for transmission cycles and future reception.
[0042] The person skilled in the art will thus appreciate that, for each transmission and reception cycle, each individual ultrasonic sensor module 105 sends to the controller unit 107 a distance value to the top of the local plantation or an error value without reading for the distance to the top of the plantation and a value of distance to the local soil or an error value without reading for the value of the distance to
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21/58 the soil.
[0043] For each transmission and reception cycle, when the control circuit 307 in an individual ultrasonic sensor module 105 generates an acceptable / valid value for the distance to the top of the plantation and also an acceptable / valid value for the value of distance to the ground, as described above, the control circuit 307 also calculates a height value from the local plantation by subtracting the distance to the plantation top value for that cycle from the distance to the ground value for that cycle. If the control circuit 307 calculates a height of the local plantation, it will then transmit it, together with the value of the distance to the top of the local plantation and the value of the distance to the local soil, to the control unit 107.
[0044] In the example described with reference to Figures 4, 5a and 5b, the value of the height of the local plantation calculated in this way would be 0.95 m (1.45 m for the distance to the ground minus 0.5 m for the distance to the top of the plantation). This local planting height value is sent to controller 107 for each cycle, in which
calculate (obviously, if a reading of mistake for reported to value gives distance to the top in plantation or the value gives distance to the ground or both because the determined values no if
within an acceptable deviation from the respective moving average values, then there will be no planting height value calculated for that cycle and a value without reading will be provided to controller 107 preferably for
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22/58 the reading of the height of the local plantation and at least one of the value of the distance to the top of the plantation or the value of the distance to the ground).
[0045] The controller unit 107 continuously receives the data transmitted from each of the individual ultrasonic sensor modules 105 and can record in its memory the data transmitted from each of the individual ultrasonic sensor modules 105 consisting of the values of the distance to the top planting values, values for distance to the ground and local planting height values, where available. The amount of data that controller unit 107 can store depends on the size of the memory storage within the controller unit, but, in the preferred embodiment, controller unit 107 can store several minutes of data received from ultrasonic sensor modules 105 before capacity memory is exceeded. If the memory of controller unit 107 is exceeded, then controller unit 107 will be configured to overwrite the oldest data in memory with new incoming data.
[0046] When the user has set the controller unit 107 to record the data being received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 in its memory, any local planting height value received from each of the ultrasonic sensor modules after each transmission cycle and reception is stored in memory in controller unit 107. No unreadable error values produced by any of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 are written to the
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23/58 controller unit memory 107.
[0047] The person skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that the memory in the control unit 107 stores all the previously transmitted local planting height values produced by the ultrasonic sensor modules over the previous transmission and reception cycles. Controller unit 107 calculates a virtual planting height value which is the cumulative moving average of all previous local planting height values stored in the memory of controller unit 107. The current cumulative moving average value of all planting height values locations currently stored in the memory of controller unit 107 are calculated for each transmit and receive cycle. After each transmit and receive cycle, when any recently transmitted local values of the planting height have been transmitted to the controller unit 107 of the individual ultrasonic sensor modules 105, the cumulative moving average value of the virtual plantation height is updated to determine the new heights local plantations that have been received and stored.
[0048] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that there are a number of ways in which the cumulative moving average can be calculated by the controller unit 107. In a more intensive approach, in each of the transmit and receive cycles, the controller unit 107 can simply add each planting height value to a single location in your memory and divide the sum by the number of plantation height values
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24/58 locations in your memory. This approach is, of course, computationally cumbersome and, instead of calculating the cumulative moving average again for each transmit and receive cycle, controller unit 107 can simply calculate the cumulative moving average once and then update the cumulative moving average with the new values. height of the local plantation received in each cycle, using the following formula:
Cai + 1 = hi + 1 + iCAi i + 1 where Cai + l is the new cumulative moving average, Cai is the preceding value of the cumulative moving average, i is the number of height values of the local plantation stored in memory and hi + l is a new value for the height of the local plantation. In this way, the person skilled in the art will see that the cumulative moving average can be updated as each new local planting height value in a current transmission and reception cycle is received, so that it is computationally less intensive than using the most intensive average calculation method.
[0049] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the actions of obtaining local plant height readings from a series of individual ultrasonic sensor modules, recording them over time and then calculating their average allow for planting height more precise, which will in turn produce a more accurate virtual planting height.
[0050] The calculation of the virtual top of the plantation height or the virtual ground level
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25/58 can be performed with the control unit 107 or the control circuit 307 of each individual ultrasonic sensor. In the modalities in which the ultrasonic sensor provides a distance to the top of the virtual plantation or virtual ground level, these parameters can be accompanied by an indication of the control circuit 307 that the parameter is a virtual parameter. In such embodiments, the control circuit 307 will maintain a moving average of the height of the local plantation. So, when the sensor module cannot measure one of a real top of the plantation height or a real soil level, the moving average of the height of the local plantation can be used in conjunction with the other parameter (real soil level or real top) plantation) to provide a calculated or virtual parameter to represent the missing measurement.
[0051] The modalities of the present invention can employ the height of the virtual plantation calculated in the manner described above to control the height of the spray boom or the boom boom (respectively) according to a number of different control methodologies. These control methodologies will be called controlled hybrid plantation top and controlled hybrid soil level.
Hybrid Controlled Planting Top Mode [0052] The hybrid controlled planting top operating mode is similar to the well-known conventional controlled planting top systems, but can control the height of the bar even if no distance value
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26/58 until the local plantation top can be calculated. The system and method prevent the misinterpretation of the return signals from the soil, caused by the lack of planting under the sensors, such as a reflection top of the plantation. In conventional controlled crop top systems, the fact that you cannot verify a valid crop top distance for any reason will mean that the bar control system will be inoperable until a crop top signal becomes available. In the worst case, if the system interprets the ground level reflection as being from the top of the plantation (because the soil reflection will be the first pulse reflex received by the system), then a conventional controlled planting top system will try to maintain the separation of the bar from that level incorrectly interpreted. This will cause the boom to lower, which may cause a collision with the plantation in the boom path.
[0053]
In the conventional controlled planting head mode and in the hybrid controlled planting head mode of the present invention, whenever the control unit 107 can calculate a distance value to the local planting head and from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 in each cycle transmission and reception, the control unit 107 adjusts the height of the bar above the determined level of the plantation top to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the plantation top level and the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 (and, consequently, the bar 101 to which they are attached).
[0054]
Figure 6 is a flow chart of the
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27/58 process illustrating the operation of the controlled hybrid top planting mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0055] Calculations are performed for each channel (that is, each section of the bar), as illustrated in step S601. As described in detail above, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 communicate their distance to the top of the local plantation c, the distance to the local soil g and the value of the height of the local plantation to the control unit 107 for each channel. This is encapsulated in step S603 of the method, where the planting data is obtained from the ultrasonic sensor modules to determine the planting data for each channel.
[0056] In step S605 of the hybrid controlled top planting method, controller unit 107 checks whether it has received valid values (ie, no “no read” error value) for the distance to the local plantation top and the distance to the ground g of the ultrasonic sensor module (s) for that channel. If you have them, then the method proceeds to step S607, in which controller 107 updates the value of the height of the virtual planting using information about the height of the channel sensor (s). Controller 107 will then proceed to step S609, where controller 107 adjusts the height of the channel bar to maintain a defined separation distance s between the bar and the top of the crop, as determined from the distance to the top value instant local planting.
[0057] If in S605 the controller does not receive a planting value and the distance to the
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28/58 valid ground for that channel, controller unit 107 will proceed to S611, where it will determine if it has a valid planting distance to the top c, but it does not have a valid ground distance to g. If it has a valid distance to the top of the plantation c, then the method will proceed to step S609, where the controller 107 adjusts the bar to maintain a defined separation distance s from the top of the plantation, as previously described. However, if in S611 the controller 107 finds that it cannot determine the distance to the top of the plantation, it will proceed to step S613. If in this step controller 107 determines that neither the distance to the top of the plantation nor the distance to the ground can be measured, no control will be able to occur. However, if in S613 a valid distance to the ground is determined, a measurement can be obtained, but not a valid distance to the top of the plantation, the method will proceed to step S615, in which controller unit 107 will determine a distance to the top of virtual plantation c '. This is done by subtracting the value of the height of the virtual planting (calculated by determining the cumulative moving average of the individual planting height values of the previous transmission and reception cycles recorded in the memory of the control unit 107) from the value of the distance to the instantaneous soil g for the particular transmission and reception cycle of that channel.
[0058] In step S617, the controller
107 controls the height of the bar to maintain a predetermined separation distance s between the
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29/58 bar and the top of the plantation, where the distance from the top of the plantation is determined by the distance to the virtual plantation top instead of by the actual plantation top level determined from a reflected signal.
[0059] A new virtual planting top level value will be calculated for each transmission and reception cycle so that there is no real planting under the ultrasonic sensor module (ie whenever the controller unit 107 cannot calculate a value away to the instant crop top).
[0060] The memory in the controller unit 107 used to maintain the local planting height values previously transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 will not be updated with any additional local planting height value until a distance reading to the plantation top valid (and thus also a local planting height value) is actually received at controller unit 107 of any of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105. Thus, the virtual planting height value used to determine the top level of virtual planting will remain unchanged. Consequently, the height of the bar which is some offset from this top level of virtual planting will also remain fixed. Thus, the only variable that would cause the bar to be moved up or down whenever controller unit 107 was not receiving any distance values from the local top plantation (and thus also no height value from the
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30/58 local planting) of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 would be a change in the value of the distance to the ground instant g determined.
[0061] The person skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that when the boom and the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 move from an area that has a continuous planting cover to a sterile ground that has no planting, the sensor modules ultrasonic 105 do not generate valid distance values to the top of the plantation during the first transmission and reception cycles that occur after the transition to sterile terrain. This is because the new value of the distance to the plantation top determined by each of the ultrasonic sensor modules will not be within the acceptable deviation from the value of the distance to the previous local plantation top that each sensor determined in the cycle. preceding transmission and reception.
[0062] The operation of the exemplary controlled hybrid top planting system of the present invention will now be illustrated further with reference to an exemplary planting field and compared to the operation of the conventional top planting operation mode. In Figure 7, a planting field is shown and the position of the bar (and of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 in said bar) as controlled according to the conventional planting top operating mode is illustrated. Figure 8 illustrates the equivalent position of the bar on the plantation if it is being controlled
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31/58 according to the hybrid plantation top directed method of operation of the present invention. Both figures illustrate the equivalent position of the bar as the bar moves from left to right over the plantation.
[0063] In Figure 7 in position 7A and in
Figure 8 in position 8A, the control units in both systems receive the values of distance to the top of the local plantation and the ultrasonic sensors. In addition, the control unit 107 of the exemplary system of the present invention also receives the values of the distance to the ground g of the ultrasonic sensors 105. Both systems control the bar so that it maintains a predetermined separation distance s from the top of the plantation.
[0064] In addition, controller unit 107 of the embodiments of the present invention also receives a local planting height from any of the ultrasonic sensors 105 that can determine a height. Controller 107 of the modalities of the present invention writes the local values received from the planting height to memory and calculates the updated cumulative moving average for the height of the virtual plantation (as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8) ready to use in the transmission cycle and next reception.
[0065] As the bar of the conventional top and hybrid top system moves towards position 7B 'and 8B', respectively, the new plantation under the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 is higher
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32/58 than the previous plantation in position 7A and 8A. Again, both systems get a signal from the top of the crop and check a distance to the top of the instant crop c. In this position, since the plantation is higher than the previous plantation, the distance between the bar and the top of the plantation is less than the predetermined separation distance s and thus the control unit 107 of the top system conventional planting and hybrid planting top will raise the bar to position 7B and 8B, respectively, to maintain the separation distance s between the bar and the top of the plantation. As before, the embodiment system of the present invention also receives the ground clearance g of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 for that transmission and reception cycle. Controller 107 also records the local planting height values received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 in its memory and updates the cumulative moving average of the stored local planting heights to provide the virtual planting height for use in the next transmission and reception cycle .
[0066] As the bar of the conventional top planting system moves towards position 7C ', the new plantation under it is shorter than the previous plantation in position 7B. Similarly, as the bar of the top hybrid planting system in Figure 8 moves towards position 8C ', the new plantation below is shorter than the previous plantation in position 8B. Again, both systems obtain a signal from the top of the plantation and verify a
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33/58 distance to the top of the plantation c from the distance values to the top of the plantation locations received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105. In this position, since the height of the plantation is less than the previous plantation, the distance between the bar and the top of the plantation is greater than the predetermined separation distance s, and thus the control unit 107 lowers the bar to the position 7C and 8C (for the conventional top planting system and the top planting system hybrid, respectively), so that the separation distance s is maintained again.
[0067] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that Figures 7 and 8 show only a few positions for the sake of clarity - in reality, there would not be a great adjustment of the bar between the positions because the height control system adjusts the height of the bar in each transmission and reception cycle. Since there are many of these cycles per second, the movement of the bar would not be abrupt and discontinuous, but it would appear smooth. When moving between position 7B and 7C, for example, the bar appears to follow the contour of the plantation cover smoothly.
[0068] In position 8C ', as before, the controller unit 107 of the present invention determines an instantaneous ground level distance g from the individual local ground distance values received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105. It also records the last local plantation height values received from ultrasonic sensors 105 in its memory and updates the cumulative moving average of plant height
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34/58 plantations stored in its memory to provide an updated virtual value of the height of the plantation for use in the next transmission and reception cycle.
[0069] As each bar of the conventional top and hybrid top system moves towards position 70 and 80, respectively, it passes over an area where there is no planting under any of the ultrasonic sensor modules . In this case, both control systems receive an ultrasonic pulse reflex from ground level only.
[0070] In the control system directed by conventional plantation tops, the soil reflection, as is the first reflection received by the 105 ultrasonic sensor modules, is interpreted as the plantation top signal and, thus, the distance to the local planting top c on the ultrasonic sensor module will be incorrectly interpreted as being equal to the distance to the ground. Since this change in the distance to the top of the plantation determined on each ultrasonic sensor is quite large compared to the distance to the top of the previous plantation determined for the previous transmission and reception cycle, a type of control logic can cause the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 do not generate and send a value without reading the distance to the top of the crop to the controller unit, because the new height determined for the top of the crop level is outside the acceptable deviation of the distance to the top of the crop determined in 7C 'position. If the unit
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35/58 controller receives only errors without reading the ultrasonic sensors, so it will not be able to control the height of the bar, since it does not know the distance from the top of the bar plantation to this transmission and reception cycle and will not respond to changes in the terrain . This is illustrated in position 70 of Figure 7, during which time, no height control of the bar is possible.
[0071] Alternatively, if the ultrasonic sensors in a conventional controlled top plantation system use a different type of control logic that simply transmits the local top plantation distances that were measured at the control unit, and these values are actually at a distance to the ground (because the ground reflection was misinterpreted as the top plantation reflection, as shown in position 7E 'in Figure 7), then the controller unit will interpret a distance value to the instant planting top that is actually at a distance from the ground. The controller will then lower the bar from position 7E 'to position 7E to maintain the separation distance s from the given planting top level (in fact, it will only be maintaining the separation distance s from the ground level). As the bar shown in Figure 7 moves from position 7E to 7F ', the distance measured to the ground decreases and the bar is raised to maintain the separation distance s from the ground level.
[0072] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that, once the bar is lowered to maintain the separation distance from a level that is
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36/58 actually the soil level instead of the top plantation level, the bar could potentially impact the next plantation in the bar's path, as illustrated in position 7G of Figure 7.
[0073] On the other hand, the method and the hybrid controlled top planting system exemplifying the present invention will not suffer from these problems. As the bar shown in Figure 8 moves from position 8C to position 8D, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 correctly interpret the reflections from the ground as being from the ground (because they are the reflections that have the furthest distance from the ultrasonic sensor modules and, furthermore, are within an acceptable deviation from previously local ground level distances
certain made when the bar was at position 8C). [0074] A unity controller 107 receive from the modules of sensor ultrasonic the local values for distance to the ground g, but
it receives no unread value for the distance to the top of the plantation c nor for the height of the plantation value. However, controller 107 has a virtual planting height value calculated from the local planting heights stored in its memory from previous transmission and reception cycles.
[0075] When the control unit 107 determines that it does not receive any data from the height of the local plantation, it preferably determines a distance to the top of the virtual plantation by subtracting the value of the height of the virtual plantation from the value of the distance to the local soil g determined
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37/58 in position 8D. Controller 107 then maintains the separation distance s from that distance to the virtual calculated crop top.
[0076] Similarly, as the bar of the controlled hybrid top planting method moves from position 8D to 8E, although local ground clearance g is provided to controller 107 from ultrasonic sensor modules 105, no distance to the local planting top or height value of the local planting will be provided to controller unit 107. In this way, controller unit 107 will recalculate a distance to the virtual plantation top at position 8E, based on subtracting the height of the virtual plantation (since the controller unit has not updated its memory with any local value of the additional local planting height, this will be the same as that determined in position 8D) from the value of the distance to the local soil g.
[0077] At position 8F ', although no local planting distance is available, the bar will be raised to position 8F to maintain the predetermined separation distance s from the virtual top of the plantation because the distance to the instant soil g has changed.
[0078] In the example system of the present invention, as the bar moves to the 8G position, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 again receive a true echo from the top of the plantation and send the values of the distance to the top of the control unit 107. plantations, the distance to the ground and the height of the
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38/58 plantation. The control unit 107 thus calculates a distance to the top of the plantation and a value of the distance to the ground from the data provided by the ultrasonic sensors 105 for that transmission and reception cycle. Controller unit 107 will therefore raise or lower the bar again to maintain the separation distance s between the bar and the top of the plantation, but this time, the distance to the top of the plantation will be used for the top of the level. planting because it will be available.
[0079] Clearly, using the hybrid controlled planting top operating mode, the control unit will be able to maintain control of the height of the bar even if the values for the distance to the plantation top have not been received from the ultrasonic sensor modules. In addition, there is no risk that the boom will be lowered in the path of the next crops, because the boom moves between positions 8C and 8G.
[0080] The person skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that, when operating in the hybrid controlled top planting mode, the height control system and method of the present invention allows the tractor and boom to traverse uneven planting areas where height control systems directed by the top of the plantation would be potentially inoperable or would cause the bar to be lowered in the path of the next plantation if the bar passed over a plantation-free area.
Controlled Hybrid Floor Level Mode [0081] Both in ground level mode
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39/58 conventional controlled known as in the hybrid controlled ground level mode exemplifying the present invention, the control unit 107 is used to adjust the height of a cutter bar above the determined ground level to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the ground level and the cutter bar.
[0082] Figure 9 is a process flow chart illustrating the operation of the controlled hybrid ground level mode of the present invention.
[0083] Calculations are performed for each channel, as illustrated in step S901. As described in detail above, each ultrasonic sensor module 105 communicates its distance from the local ground level g, its distance to the top of the local plantation c and the value of the height of the local plantation to the controller unit 107 for each channel. This is encapsulated in step S903 of the method, where the plantation data is obtained from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 to determine the plantation data for each channel.
[0084] The person skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that when the cutter bar and the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 move to an area where an echo from the true ground level cannot be obtained, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 do not generate valid ground clearance values during the first transmission and reception cycle that occurs after the transition to that area. This is because the most distant echo received by the ultrasonic sensor modules would not be received from the ground level.
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40/58 true, but from some object closer to the ultrasonic sensor modules than the ground level, such as a part of the plantation, perhaps. This would be particularly the case if the crop was laid down or folded. In conventional controlled ground level systems, the ultrasonic sensor modules must interpret the topsoil reflection from the top of the plantation as being from real soil and thus must indicate an erroneous ground level.
[0085] In step S905, controller unit 107 determines whether it has received valid values (ie, no error signal without reading) for the distance to the ground g and the distance to the plantation top c of the module (s) ultrasonic sensor 105 for that channel. If you receive both signals, it will proceed to S907, where controller 107 will update the height value of the virtual plantation using the height information and then the controller will proceed to S909, where it will adjust the position of the cutter bar to maintain a separation distance is defined between the cutter bar and the ground. However, if in S905 the controller determines that it has not received valid signals for the distance to the ground and the distance to the top of the plantation, it will proceed to S911, where it will then determine whether there is a valid ground clearance g but not a distance to the top of a valid plantation c. If in S911 the controller determines that it has a valid ground clearance g but not a valid ground clearance c, it will proceed to S909 and will control the position of the cutter bar to maintain the separation distance
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41/58
s. However, if in S911 the controller 107 finds that it can determine the distance to the top of the plantation but cannot determine the distance to the ground, it will proceed to S913. If in S913 the controller 107 finds that neither the distance to the ground g nor the distance to the top of the plantation c can be determined, no control will take place. However, if in S913 the controller 107 determines a valid distance to the top of the plantation, a signal c can be obtained, but not a valid distance to the ground g, and the method will proceed to S915, where the controller unit 107 will determine a distance to the virtual ground g '. This will be done by adding the value of the height of the virtual planting (which was calculated by determining the cumulative moving average of the individual local values of the planting height of the previous transmission and reception cycles recorded in the memory buffer of the controller 107) to the distance value to the instantaneous crop top c for the particular transmission and reception cycle of that channel.
[0086] In step S917, the controller
107 will then control the height of the cutter bar to maintain a predetermined separation distance s between the cutter bar and the ground level, where the distance to the ground is determined by the distance to the virtual ground instead of by a level of the actual ground determined from a reflected signal.
[0087] A new distance to the virtual ground will be calculated for each transmission and reception cycle for which the
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42/58 sensor 105 cannot determine a value for the distance to the instant local ground.
[0088] The memory in controller unit 107 used to maintain the local planting height values previously transmitted by the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 will not be updated with all additional local planting height values until a valid ground clearance reading (and thus also a local planting height value) is actually received at the controller unit 107 from any of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105. In this way, the virtual planting height value used to determine the distance to the virtual soil will remain fixed. Consequently, the height of the cutter bar, which is some offset from this virtual ground level, will also remain fixed. In this way, the only variable that will cause the cutter bar to move up or down whenever the control unit 107 is not receiving any value for the distance to the ground (and thus also no value for planting height) ) of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 would be a change in the value of the distance to the top of the plantation and determined snapshot.
[0089] The operation of the exemplary controlled hybrid ground level system of the present invention will now be illustrated further with reference to an exemplary plantation field and in comparison to the conventional ground level operation mode. In Figure 10, a plantation field shown at the position of the
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43/58 cutter bar (and the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 on the cutter bar) as controlled by the conventional ground level operating mode is illustrated. Figure 11 illustrates the equivalent position of the cutter bar on the ground if being controlled with the controlled hybrid ground level operating mode of an example according to the present invention. Both figures illustrate the equivalent position of the cutter bar while the cutter bar moves from left to right across the plantation.
[0090] In Figure 10 in position 10A and Figure 11 in 11A, the controller units in both systems receive the values of distance to the local ground g from the ultrasonic sensors. In addition, the control unit 107 of the exemplary system of the present invention also receives the values of the distance to the plantation top and locations of the ultrasonic sensors 105. Both systems control the cutter bar so that it is at a defined distance from the level from soil. However, in Figures 10 and 11, the distance g is illustrated as the distance to the floor of the sensor module 105 and not from the cutter bar for clarity, but the person skilled in the art will deduce that the difference of these two points of reference is a fixed offset in the distance.
[0091] In addition, the control unit 107 also receives a height of the local plantation from any of the ultrasonic sensors 105 that can determine a height. Controller 107 writes the local values received from the planting height to memory and calculates the average
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44/58 cumulative mobile updated to the height of the virtual plantation ready for use in the next transmission and reception cycle (as shown by the dashed line in Figure 11).
[0092] Measure that the bar in cut of level system from soil conventional and in level of hybrid soil moves to position 10B ' and 11B ', respectively, the level of soil under gives bar
cutting edge and of the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 becomes higher than the ground level in the previous position 10A and 11A. Again, both systems obtain a true reflection from the ground and determine a distance value to the instantaneous ground g. In this position, since the distance between the cutter bar and the ground level is less than the predetermined separation distance s, the controller unit 107 of the conventional ground level and hybrid ground level system will raise the bar cut to position 10B and 11B for Figures 10 and 11, respectively, to maintain the separation distance, s, between the cut bar and the ground. As before, the system of the present invention also determines the values of the distance to the top of the local plantation and instantaneous and the distance to the top of the individual local plantation received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 for that transmission and reception cycle. Controller 107 records the local planting height values received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 in its memory and updates the cumulative moving average of the stored local planting heights to provide the virtual planting height for use in the cycle.
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45/58 next transmission and reception.
[0093] As the cut bar of the conventional ground level system illustrated in Figure 10 moves from position 10B to 10C ', the ground level decreases, so that it is lower than the ground level in the position 10B. Similarly, as the cut bar of the hybrid ground level system in Figure 11 moves to position 11C '', the ground level decreases, so that it is lower than the ground level in position 11B. Again, both systems obtain a true reflection of the ground level and verify an instantaneous ground clearance value of the individual ground clearance values received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105. In this position, since the distance to the ground ground level is greater than the predetermined separation distance s, controller unit 107 lowers the cutter bar to position 10C and 11C (for the conventional ground level system and the hybrid ground level system, respectively), so that the separation distance s is maintained again.
[0094] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that Figures 10 and 11 show only a few positions for the sake of clarity - in reality, there would be no major adjustment of the cutter bar between the positions because the height control system adjusts the height of the cutting bar in each transmission and reception cycle. Since there are many of these cycles per second, the movement of the cutter bar would not be abrupt and discontinuous, but would appear smooth. When moving between position 10B and 10C, for example, the
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46/58 cut would appear to follow the contour of the ground level smoothly.
[0095] In position 11C ', as before, the controller unit 107 of the present invention also determines the values of the distance to the top of the local plantation and snapshots and the distance to the top of the individual plantation received from the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 for that transmission and reception cycle. Controller 107 records the most recent local planting height values received from ultrasonic sensors 105 in its memory and updates the cumulative moving average of the local planting heights stored in its memory to provide an updated virtual planting height value for use in the cycle next transmission and reception.
[0096] As the cut bar of the conventional ground level mode system moves from position 10D in Figure 10, it can pass over an area where the plantation has very dense foliage that blocks the view of a sensor from the ground. The top of the plantation would be well above the actual ground level. Due to the abrupt rise in the detected ground level (the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 would see the top of the plantation as a false ground level), the distance to the ground that each of the ultrasonic sensor modules measured would probably be much less than the value of the distance to the previously measured local ground and, thus, outside the acceptable deviation of the distance to the previous locally measured ground, in which case the ultrasonic sensor modules would return a value without reading for the distance value
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47/58 to the local soil. Alternatively, if a ditch or furrow in the earth were present in the 10D position, thereby causing the locally measured ground distances to be much greater than previously recorded ground distances, an ultrasonic sensor module would report an error
no reading for value gives distance to the ground place. [0097] If the dis substance to the ground measure (which is really The measurement to the top of plantation) is within of acceptable deviation from distance to ground measured from previous location or controller logic no check reading latest against dis substance to the ground previously recorded, it is also possible that the controller raise the bar in cut to keep the separation distance s between the sensor and the top of the planting instead of soil.
[0098] In the conventional directed ground level control system, if the control unit receives errors only without reading the ultrasonic sensor modules for the values of the distance to the local ground, then it will not be able to control the height of the cutter bar, because you will not know the distance to the ground from the cutter bar for this transmission and reception cycle. Typically, when this situation occurs, the height control system has to be controlled manually until a reliable ground level can be determined. As illustrated in Figure 10, without manual intervention, the cutter bar will make contact with the ground in position 10E.
[0099] On the other hand, the method and
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The controlled hybrid ground level system of the present invention does not suffer from this problem, and the control of the height of the cutter bar is always maintained by the control unit 107. Illustrated in Figure 11, as the cutter bar moves from position 11C to position 11D ', the control unit 107 receives the local values for the top planting distances c from the ultrasonic sensor modules, but does not receive any value without reading for the local distance to ground values and also for the values planting height. However, controller unit 107 has a virtual planting height value calculated from measurements of local ground and plantation top distance stored in its memory from previous transmission and reception cycles.
[00100] When the controller unit 107 determines that it cannot calculate a distance to the instant local soil, it preferably determines a distance to the virtual soil, illustrated in Figure 11 as a dotted line, when adding the value of the height of the plantation distance value to the instant local planting top determined at position 11C. Controller 107 then maintains the separation distance s from that distance to the calculated virtual ground.
[00101] For each subsequent transmission and reception cycle that the controller unit 107 cannot calculate an instantaneous distance to the local ground, it will recalculate a distance to the virtual ground based on the addition of the
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49/58 virtual planting height (which, since controller unit 107 has not updated its memory with any additional local planting height value, will be the same as that determined in position 11C ') at the distance to the top value instantaneous planting time (which could be the distance to the most recently calculated instantaneous planting value successfully if unread values were received at a given position).
[00102] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the cutter bar moves to a position where the ultrasonic sensor modules can determine a distance to the local ground that is within an acceptable deviation from the last value of the distance to the ground acceptable location transmitted to controller unit 107, sensor module 105 will again begin transmitting values of distance to ground locations to controller unit 107 instead of values without reading. Controller unit 107 will thus again raise or lower the cutter bar to maintain the separation distance s between the cutter bar and the ground level, although the instantaneous ground clearance to g is now used instead of a virtual ground level because it is available. This is illustrated at position 11E in Figure 11.
[00103] Clearly, when using the controlled hybrid ground level operation mode, the control unit will be able to maintain the height control of the cutter bar even if no value of the distance to the useful ground is received from the 105 ultrasonic sensor modules.
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50/58 [00104] The person skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that, when operating in the controlled hybrid ground level mode, the height control system and method of the present invention will allow the cutter bar to cross planting areas where normal “ground level” height control systems would potentially become inoperable if they could not obtain a satisfactory indication of ground level from ultrasonic sensors.
Modifications:
[00105] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described as being used with two separate VG spray booms, each mounted on one side of the tractor unit for hybrid planting top control mode, and has been described as a harvester cutting bar for the hybrid ground level control mode, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that other provisions can be contemplated within the scope of the present invention. Certainly, the ultrasonic sensor modules could be placed in any arrangement with respect to bars 101. In addition, a single large spray bar could be used in the present invention instead of the two separate VG spray bars described. A single large spray boom would be mounted at its midpoint to the tractor unit and coupled to the tractor unit by means of well-known coupling mechanisms, which allow the boom to be rotated over its midpoint and also to be raised and lowered in direction to
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51/58 or away from the ground. The ultrasonic sensor modules 105 would be arranged along the length of the single spray boom. Figure 12 illustrates such a tractor and boom arrangement.
[00106] Similarly, a provision could be made to control the lateral inclination of a cutter bar by placing the ultrasonic sensor modules on either side of the cutter bar, as shown in Figure 13. The cutter bar would be coupled to the harvester unit using the well-known coupling mechanisms to raise and lower not only the cutter bar, but to turn it over its midpoint.
[00107] Although the present method and system have been described with reference to the use of multiple ultrasonic sensor modules 105, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the modalities of the present invention are equally well applied to a system that has only a single module of ultrasonic sensor. In such a case, the instantaneous representative planting height values calculated by controller unit 107 would not be based on averaging their local values from multiple ultrasonic sensor modules, but would actually be the local values of the single ultrasonic sensor module . Such a system would still operate to record the local planting height values received by the controller unit 107 over time in its memory to form a virtual planting height value in the manner discussed above.
[00108] The person skilled in the art go
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52/58 understand that if you receive planting data from multiple ultrasonic sensor modules, other ways of interpreting the data (provided so that it can be used in the method of the present invention) could be considered. For example, a single ground clearance value provided by any of the multiple ultrasonic sensor modules 105 could be considered by controller 107 as the ground clearance value representative for that particular transmit and receive cycle. Similarly, one of the distance to the plantation values provided by any of the multiple ultrasonic sensor modules 105 could be considered by controller 107 as the value of the distance to the plantation top representative for that particular transmission and reception cycle. One of the local planting height values provided to controller 107 for that particular transmission and reception cycle of all ultrasonic sensor modules 105 could be considered as the instantaneous representative planting height value for that cycle. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the criteria for selecting which single local value to be considered as the corresponding instantaneous representative value, depend on the mode of operation in which the system is. For example, if in controlled ground level mode, the shortest distance from the individual local ground level is selected as the instantaneous representative value, as this would ensure that the separation distance from the ground is kept closer to any of the
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53/58 sensors.
[00109] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that, in the foregoing description, the top planting and ground level distances are determined from the ultrasonic sensor modules with increasing distance away from the sensor module which has a positive distance value growing. The person skilled in the art will understand that a different distance notation scheme is implemented (for example, at distances from the bar negative values are given), then the height of the virtual plantation, the distance to the top of the virtual plantation and the distance to the virtual ground would be calculated using the different notation scheme.
[00110] The main modality of the invention describes the opening of a reception window for a predefined period of time, in which the chosen time is sufficient to allow any reflection from the ground to reach the transducer. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the time interval in which the reception window remains open can be automatically varied based on a range of factors such as the distance to the ground determined as part of the last transmission and reception cycle, plus any displacement. This would mean that, as the bar is moved closer to the ground, the reception window would become shorter, to reflect the fact that the reflections would not take long to reach the transducer, and as the bar were it moved further away from the ground, the reception window would be enlarged.
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 59/72
54/58
Alternatively, the time interval in which the reception window remains open could be manually varied and adjusted by the system operator, via controller 107. Manual adjustment may depend on the type of plantation (since different types of plantation will have different heights ), an average predetermined planting height and the time of year (to reflect that the crop sprayed later in the growing season is generally higher, thereby requiring the bar to be higher from the ground) and the controller 107 it can present an appropriate interface to the system operator to allow data about these variables to be received in the system and to adjust, accordingly, the time interval of the reception window.
[00111] In the present modality, the ultrasonic sensor modules 105 are described as transmitting an ultrasonic pulse at different intervals of 20 to 30 milliseconds. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the interval at which ultrasonic pulses are transmitted is varied. Such variation may depend on the type of plantation on which the ultrasonic sensor modules will pass, on the density of the planting or on the separation between the plants of the plantation on which the ultrasonic sensor modules will pass, on the density of the individual plants on which the ultrasonic sensor modules will pass, from the time of year when the operation will be carried out (because if it is late in the growing season, then planting will be naturally
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 60/72
55/58 larger and the foliage will be more dense) and the speed at which the bar (and thus the ultrasonic sensor modules) pass over the plantation. Since the bar moves faster over crops, for example, a shorter interval between pulse transmissions will be required.
[00112] In the preferred mode discussed above, it is mentioned that the gain of the reception and amplification circuit is increased exponentially with the increase in the time elapsed since the transmission of the pulse. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the gain of the receiving and amplifying circuit is increased using any appropriate ratio rather than simply an exponential one over time. The person skilled in the art will also appreciate that no increase in gain over time is applied.
[00113] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide range of audible pulse frequencies can be used in the present invention. Although the ultrasonic sensor modules have been described, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the sound generation and detection equipment of the present invention can be altered to produce and receive sound at any desired frequency.
[00114] Furthermore, although the individual ultrasonic sensor modules have been described as transmitting the ultrasonic pulse and detecting / receiving the resulting echoes, appropriate separate components could be used for each of these steps.
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 61/72
56/58 [00115] The person skilled in the art will appreciate that instead of each ultrasonic sensor module calculating the value of the height of the plantation from the value of the distance to the local soil and the value of the distance to the top of the local plantation , the ultrasonic sensor module (s) 105 can (m) simply transmit the value of the distance to the ground and the value of the distance to the top of the plantation to the controller 107, which will perform the calculation of the height of the local plantation for the readings of each sensor. In such a case, controller unit 107 would still record each of the local planting height values it calculates into its memory to form the basis for calculating the cumulative moving average of the local planting heights.
[00116] The number of individual planting height values stored in the memory buffer of controller 107 for previous cycles may vary depending on the type of plantation, the time of year (there will probably be larger and larger sterile areas in autumn / winter than in the spring or summer) when the operation is being carried out, the age of the plantation being sprayed, the density of planting the plantation and the speed with which the ultrasonic sensors travel over the soil. In addition, the recording of local planting height values in the memory of the controller unit can be interrupted and resumed by certain external triggers, such as positional data (obtained from a global satellite positioning system or any
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 62/72
57/58 other device) that indicate that the tractor unit is in a desired position, or by a user-operable control. Since the local planting height values recorded in the controller's memory form the basis for the cumulative moving average of the planting height (that is, the height of the virtual plantation that drives the present system), the provision of control over when Local planting heights are recorded in the memory of the controller unit 107 allowing the user to ensure that the height value of the virtual plantation being calculated is very accurate and relevant to the plantation that is really of interest. If the tractor has to move to a target plantation field, then it is undesirable that all local planting height values produced by the ultrasonic sensor modules along the path to the target field are included in the cumulative moving average value and thereby contribute , for the virtual planting height value. The use of positional data or a manual intervention by the system user to start recording local planting height values of the ultrasonic sensor modules in the memory of the control unit allows only the relevant local planting heights to be recorded in memory.
[00117] Furthermore, in a system that incorporates multiple ultrasonic sensors, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the controller unit 107 can be controlled to ignore the readings of the distance to the local soil, the distance to the top of the local plantation and the height
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 63/72
58/58 of the local planting of certain ultrasonic sensor modules. In this way, certain ultrasonic sensor modules 105 can be masked, so that their data is not included in any calculation performed by the controller unit 107.
[00118] Although the height control system and method of the present invention have been described with reference to the height control of a spray boom that is towed behind a tractor, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the height control system of the present invention can be applied to any equipment that requires height control. Another example to which the height control system and method of the present invention could be applied includes, but is not limited to, the height control of a cutting blade of a combined harvester or for tillage mechanisms where height control is required .

权利要求:
Claims (5)
[1]
1. Method for controlling the height of a component of agricultural equipment (101, 201), characterized by the fact that it comprises: determining an average planting height: controlling the component of agricultural equipment to maintain a predetermined distance from one of a level current planting top level or current soil level, where, if a current top planting level or current soil level is unable to be determined, steps will be taken:
calculate a top level of virtual planting or a level of virtual soil, respectively, using the average value of plantation height; and control the agricultural equipment component to maintain a predetermined distance from the top level of virtual plantation or the
level of ground virtual, respectively. 2. Method, according with The claim 1, characterized by fact in calculate the top level of plantation virtual to
subtract the average planting height from the current ground level.
3. Method, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it calculates the virtual soil level by adding the average planting height to the current top planting level.
4. Method, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the current level of the top of the plantation and the level of the soil
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 65/72
[2]
2/5
current are determined to:transmit a pulse ultrasonic; detect the echoes return of pulse transmitted and qualify the return echoes for
identify a return from the top of the plantation and a return from the soil along with the time that each echo is received, and use the known speed of the transmitted pulse and the time elapsed between the transmission of the pulse and the reception times of the return of the top of the plantation and soil return to calculate the distance at which each respective return echo occurred.
5. Method, according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that it additionally comprises:
measure room temperature at a time of ultrasonic pulse transmission, using room temperature measurement to determine the temperature-corrected ultrasonic pulse speed and using the corrected speed as the known speed.
6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height of the average plantation comprises an average of the historical planting heights.
7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the historic planting heights are individual planting heights that were determined by an ultrasonic sensor by subtracting an instant distance from a plantation top detected under the ultrasonic sensor from a distance
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 66/72
[3]
3/5 instantaneous to the ground which was also detected under the ultrasonic sensor at the same time.
8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that presetting the height of the average planting by a user.
Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the component of the agricultural equipment comprises a spray bar (101).
Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the component of the agricultural equipment comprises a cutting bar (201).
An apparatus for carrying out the method, of the type defined in claim 1, comprising:
an unity in sensor (105) for provide a signal indicative of one top level of plantation current or of a level of current soil, andan unity in control (107) that receive the
signal, characterized by the fact that the control unit calculates a height of the average plantation and provides a control signal to control the height of the component of the agricultural equipment (101, 201), in which, if a current level of top plantation or a current ground level is unable to be determined by the sensor unit, the control unit will:
calculate a top level of virtual plantation or virtual soil level, respectively, using the average height of the plantation, and adjust the control signal to control
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 67/72
[4]
4/5 the height of the agricultural equipment component to maintain a predetermined distance from the top virtual plantation level or the virtual ground level, respectively.
Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the sensor unit (105) and the control unit (107) are integral with each other.
13. Component of agricultural equipment, including an appliance comprising:
a sensor unit (105) to provide a signal indicative of a current top plantation level or current soil level, and a control unit (107) that receives the signal, characterized by the fact that the control unit calculates an average plantation height and provides a control signal to control the height of the agricultural equipment component (101, 201), in which, if a current top plantation level or current ground level is unable to be determined by sensor unit, the control unit will:
calculate a virtual plantation top level or virtual soil level, respectively, using the average planting height, and adjust the control signal to control the height of the agricultural equipment component to maintain a predetermined distance from the top level planting or virtual ground level, respectively.
Component of agricultural equipment according to claim 13, characterized
Petition 870190052478, of 6/4/2019, p. 68/72
[5]
5/5 due to the fact that the sensor unit (105) is mounted on a spray boom (101).
15. Agricultural equipment component according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the sensor unit (105) is mounted on a cutter bar (201).

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同族专利:

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公开号 | 公开日

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US20130345937A1|2013-12-26|

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AU2013283353B2|2016-09-15|

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EP2630856A3|2013-12-25|

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EP2679085A1|2014-01-01|

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CA2870988C|2015-05-19|

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EP2630856A2|2013-08-28|

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BR112014032571A2|2017-06-27|

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WO2014001416A1|2014-01-03|

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EP2630856B1|2014-10-08|

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DK2630856T3|2014-11-17|

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US8843283B2|2014-09-23|

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CA2870988A1|2014-01-03|

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AU2013283353A1|2015-01-22|

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法律状态:
2018-03-06| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|

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2018-03-13| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|

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2018-03-20| B06I| Technical and formal requirements: publication cancelled|Free format text: ANULADA A PUBLICACAO CODIGO 6.6.1 NA RPI NO 2462 DE 13/03/2018 POR TER SIDO INDEVIDA. |

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2019-03-12| B06A| Notification to applicant to reply to the report for non-patentability or inadequacy of the application according art. 36 industrial patent law|

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2019-07-30| B09A| Decision: intention to grant|

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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EP12173531.0A|EP2679085A1|2012-06-26|2012-06-26|Height control|

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EP12173531.0|2012-06-26|

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PCT/EP2013/063441|WO2014001416A1|2012-06-26|2013-06-26|Height control|

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